The Aid of Those Who Are Tempted

“Oh, woe is me! All this is going wrong — and that is falling apart — and I don’t have anything to satisfy my needs — I’m suffering in my body and spirit — all my friends have left me — I’m all alone and nobody cares!”

As we face all sorts of troubles, temptations, and trials in this world, it is so easy to feel alone in our sorrows. And, it’s so easy to want to cave in to all sorts of temptations, just to satisfy our perceived needs. We don’t like suffering and just wish everything would go our way for once. We become very centered on ourselves as we feel alone and forsaken.

But the truth of the matter is that we are not alone. Our Lord and God has experienced the same troubles, temptations, and trials that we are going through. Hebrews 2:18 tells us about Jesus, saying,

For since He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted.

Have our friends left us? Jesus’ friends left Him. Have we been slandered? Jesus was slandered throughout His ministry and is still being slandered by many today. Do we suffer physical pains? Jesus suffered excruciating pains to pay for our sins. Are we worried about our poverty? Jesus lived in poverty all His earthly life. Do we feel persecuted? Jesus was persecuted as the Jews tried to kill Him. Are we being tempted to sin in our desires? Jesus was tempted by Satan in the wilderness — and at every opportune time Satan found.

And, it’s amazing that Jesus’ afflictions and temptations were foretold in Isaiah 63:9,

In all their affliction He was afflicted.

And Isaiah 53:4 prophesies,

Surely our griefs He Himself bore, And our sorrows He carried.

As much as we might like to feel singled out and wallow in our woes, we are not alone in our trials and temptations. And, we don’t have to cave in to any of this world’s temptations. Being tempted is not a good reason for caving in to every little temptation. For every time we are tempted to feel that we are alone in our suffering, we need to remember to allow Jesus to carry all our “sorrows” and “griefs”. Everybody has them — and they are a prod to push us into learning to trust in our Lord and Savior — instead of falling into sin.

Knowing that Jesus is fully able “to come to the aid of those who are tempted“, we constantly look to Him in every kind of need. And, we give thanks as we remember that He has promised to never leave or forsake us. ( Hebrews 13:5, Deuteronomy 31:6, & Joshua 1:5 )

Resting in His grace, we say, “Hallelujah! LORD, thank You for being with us through all our trials and temptations.”